1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a round baling press including a baling press chamber, a door arranged in the rear section of the baling press chamber, the door being movable along a path between a closed position, in which the door extends along the back side of the baling press chamber, and an open position, in which a completely formed bale can be ejected from the baling press chamber, and a sensor for providing information on the position of the door.
2. Related Technology
Round baling presses are used for producing bales from stalk-shaped crop material in agriculture. Such round baling presses exhibit a baling press chamber and the appertaining pressing means. After final forming of a bale is completed, a rear door swings upward to eject the bale.
In the state of the art, it is known that a sensor can be assigned to the door to obtain information as to whether the door is closed or not, and to provide the operator of the tractor hauling the round baling press with the appropriate information on the status of the door as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,924 and German Patent No. DE 4,442,479 C. It is also known that the sensor can be assigned to regulate automatically controlled functions as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,828 A. It is further known that the sensor can be assigned to control a subsequent wrapping machine as disclosed in German Patent Nos. DE 19,919,322 A and DE 19,919,323 A. It is also further known that a sensor can be assigned, for reasons of safety, to bring to a stop the elements that are driven by the round baling press when the door is to be opened by hand as disclosed in German Patent No. DE 10,107,625 A1. Beyond the binary data as to whether the door is open or not, existing sensors are not capable of providing any information as to the specific position of the door. Nevertheless, such information can be vital for various purposes.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,825 A, a round bale cutter is described with a sensor determining the size of the bales, the sensor being embodied as a potentiometer.
The subsequently published German Patent DE 10,339,652 A, describes a round baling press with a door that is activatably movable by a hydraulic drive.